Scientists must write

Communicating information is an important part of science, whether it's writing a paper for a journal, recording the results of an experiment or giving a talk about a topic. However, it isn't always done very well. In 'Scientists must write', Robert Barrass has plenty of useful advice for those who wish to improve their scientific writing. Although it's only a short book, he manages to cover many different types of scientific communication, and goes through the stages of writing in some detail. I certainly think that this book will be a useful addition to the bookshelf of any scientist or science student.

The book starts with advice on how to organise your work - I guess that some people might find this a bit over-presciptive. It goes on to advise on the choice of words, and issues of spelling and grammar. This is followed by a look at the use of graphs, illustrations and tables of information in a document. There are two chapters which go into the detail of writing a scientific report, with plenty of checklists to make sure that you remember everything. The book also has chapters on how to find and cite information from other scientists, and on giving a talk on a scientific subject.

Good writing and communication skills are essential in many areas of science and engineering, to help observation, thinking and remembering, to organize work and to avoid stress. Written by a scientist for scientists, this book is much more than a textbook of English grammar – it is a valuable source of information for all aspects of writing in scientific and technical situations.

The only book focusing on the ways in which writing is important to the scientific community, this book assists readers on:

* how to write and choice of words* using numbers and illustrations* writing project reports, theses and papers for publication* giving a short talk or presentation.

The new edition of Scientists Must Write has been fully revised and updated to take account of the changes in information and communications technology including word processing and information storage and retrieval; new appendices on punctuation, spelling and computers; and useful exercises to improve writing.

This popular guide will be of great use to undergraduates, postgraduates, professional scientists and engineers.